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To avoid negative publicity that will come with this Bush is holding off until 2005

US Preparing for Military Draft in Spring 2005by Adam Stutz ? Wednesday January 28, 2004 at 09:50 AM

The current agenda of the US federal government is to reinstate the draft in order to staff up for a protracted war on "terrorism." Pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills S 89 and HR 163) would time the program so the draft could begin at early as Spring 2005 -- conveniently just after the 2004 presidential election!

Reinstatement of the draft

Dear Friends and Family,

I urge you to read the article below on the current agenda of the federal government to reinstate the draft in order to staff up for a protracted war on "terrorism."

Pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills S 89 and HR 163) would time the program so the draft could begin at early as Spring 2005 -- conveniently just after the 2004 presidential election! But the administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed NOW, so our action is needed immediately. Details and links follow.

If voters who currently support U.S. aggression abroad were confronted with the possibility that their own children or grandchildren might not have a say about whether to fight, many of these same voters might have a change of mind. (Not that it should make a difference, but this plan would among other things eliminate higher education as a shelter and would not exclude women -- and Canada is no longer an option.)

Please send this on to all the parents and teachers you know, and all the aunts and uncles, grandparents, godparents.... And let your children know -- it's their future, and they can be a powerful voice for change! Please also write to your representatives to ask them why they aren't telling their constituents about these bills -- and write to newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they're not covering this important story.

The Draft*

$28 million has been added to the 2004 Selective Service System (SSS) budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005. SSS must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation. Please see website: http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the SSS Annual Performance Plan - Fiscal Year 2004.

The Pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide.. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of Congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan [and a permanent state of war on "terrorism"] proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft.

Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and H.R. 163 forward this year, entitled the Universal National Service Act of 2003, "To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18--26] in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." These active bills currently sit in the Committee on Armed Services.

Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era remember. College and Canada will not be options. In December 2001, Canada and the US signed a "Smart Border Declaration," which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Manley, and US Homeland Security Director, Gov. Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their cur-rent semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

*This article by Adam Stutz is from the "What's Hot Off the Press" column of the newsletter of Project Censored, a media research group at Sonoma State University that tracks the news published in independent journals and newsletters. From these, Project Censored compiles an annual list (more than 20 years running) of 25 news stories of social significance that have been overlooked, under-reported, or self-censored by the country's major national news media. The mission of Project Censored is "to educate people about the role of independent journalism in a democratic society and to tell The News That Didn't Make the News and why."

"What's Hot Off the Press" includes student synopses of articles currently being investigated for inclusion in the next Project Censored report. For more info and/or to receive Project Censored's newsletter, go to http://www.projectcensored.org, or email [censored]@sonoma.edu

The possibility of mandatory drafting for boys and girls (age 18-26) starting June 15 2005, is something, I believe, everyone should know. This litteraly affects EVERYONE since we all have or know children that will have to go if this bill passes.

If there are children in your family, READ this.

There is pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills: S 89 and HR 163) which will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin at early as Spring 2005 -- just after the 2004 presidential election. The administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public's attention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed immediately. Details and links follow.

THE DRAFT

$28 million has been added to the 2004 selective service system (sss) budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005. Selective Service must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation. Please see website: www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the sss annual performance plan - fiscal year 2004.

The pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide.. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan [and a permanent state of war on "terrorism"] proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft.

Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and HR 163 forward this year, http://www.hslda.org/legislation/national/2003/s89/default.aspentitled the Universal National Service Act of 2003, "to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18--26] in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." These active bills currently sit in the committee on armed services. Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era. College and Canada will not be options. In December 2001, Canada and the U.S. signed a "smart border declaration," which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's minister of foreign affairs, John Manley, and U.S. Homeland Security director, Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

Considering that the Bush admin is in charge of the executive branch, I would think those bills have everything to do with the Bush admin... I would say the same thing regardless of who was president (substituting their name for Bush, of course).

actually, it is true that democrats are pushing it.. all the liberals are trying to be fair to everyone by not exempting those in college... even though those are our doctors, our teachers..... they'd rather give them up for the sake of being "fair" as oppose to just losing a couple sandwich packers

I think if they have a problem with people signing up they should appeal to the market and offer more money to the people who serve. Those are the people who take the risks, and they should be fairly compensated.

Garbage men make pretty good money where I live, and that is because not a lot of people want to do that. Garbage collection is a necessary function. When a shortage exists of garbage men, they don't draft people, they raise the wages.

Those people risk their lives, they should be fairly compensated. Make it worth their while because they deserve it. They should be honored as heroes for serving their country, but they should also be able to take advantage of market forces.

I would not want to fight with someone who didn't want to serve with me. I think an all volunteer force has better moral and is a better fighting force.

And on a side note, don't think that Senator's sons will see front line duty unless they request it. Al Gore fought valiantly in the Army Press Corps. Don't kid yourself. The connected will always have influence, so don't waste your time even bitching about that.

--------------------?When Alexander the Great visted the philosopher Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for him, Diogenes is said to have replied: 'Yes, stand a little less between me and the sun.' It is what every citizen is entitled to ask of his government.?
-Henry Hazlitt in 'Economics in One Lesson'

You can't blame Bush for this. The sponsors of those bills are Rangel, McDermott, Conyers, Lewis, Stark and Abercrombie in the House and Hollings in the Senate. Every fucking one a Democrat. Further, Kerry has proposed 2 years of "National Service" for everyone, whatever the hell that is. Some have noted that it might not be mandatory, but if it isn't it's nothing at all (how's the Peace Corps doing these days?). Bush, on the other hand, has stated repeatedly that he has no intention of re-instating the draft.

So if you're afraid of the draft, VOTE BUSH. The Democrats want to own you in a way that will make you pine for prison with Big Bubba.

--------------------?When Alexander the Great visted the philosopher Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for him, Diogenes is said to have replied: 'Yes, stand a little less between me and the sun.' It is what every citizen is entitled to ask of his government.?
-Henry Hazlitt in 'Economics in One Lesson'

Besides, a lot of our enlisted men might give a rat's ass about going to college. They might want to be plumbers, electricians, work construction or use whatever skills they have learned while serving. Sending a kid to college costs a boatload. Maybe if you just tell them that after they are done they get a 25k tax free bounus to buy a house or invest in the market they would like that better.

The simple economics of free market philosophy tells us that the more compensation offered, the more people will be willing to enlist. Some people would obviously not fight for any price. Virtually everyone else would fight for a million dollars and take their chances. Very few would want to do it for free. The natural equilibrium point of the market lies somewhere inbetween.

It is like that old joke:Man "Would you have sex with me for a million dollars?" Woman "Of Course"Man "How about $20 bucks?"Woman "Hell No! What kind of woman do you think that I am?"Man "We have already established that, now we are just quibbling on the price"

If they pump funds into the GI Bill or make another program that will give billions of dollars to vets then I don't see a problem with the draft. Under current conditions, the vets will be fucked after they finish their service because a lot of them will not qualify for money for college unless the current GI Bill and whatnot is changed.

those bills scare me...i'm 18, not married, and not in school, fuck...I am currently posting anti-war/anti-bush signs everywhere in my city...I can't really say I'm a member of either party (because I have conflicting ideals') but I do know this. -I love the USA and would not hesitate to fight in combat and or die for my country, that is if I had a good god damned reason too, which there is not, in Iraq at least. I don't have a mission to get people to vote 'Kerry'. The mission is this: BUSH MUST NOT GET RE-ELECTED...the world has at times looked up to us, I believe now they are looking down on us more than ever. Please, lets stop taking lives and losing American soldiers!- visit this site (kick-ass); www.stopgeorge.com ~spread the word

----------------------- "As your attorny I advise you to rent a very fast car with no top, and you'll need the cocaine." - Dr. Gonzo